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<TITLE>The Chinese Century -- A Photographic History of the Last Hundred Years 
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<H2 ALIGN="CENTER">The Chinese Century -- A Photographic History of the Last
Hundred Years</H2>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1"> <B>by Jonathan D. Spence and Annping Chin</B>,
Published in 1996 by Endeavour Group UK; Random House Toronto &amp; New
York</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">&copy; by
<A HREF="mailto:hmcdonal@msmail.wcb.bc.ca" TARGET="_top">Heather McDonald</A> -
Vancouver BC</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">At first glance this book would seem to be of
the typical &quot;coffee table&quot; variety, akin to &quot;A Day in the Life
of Ireland&quot; (or Canada or USA or wherever). Its size (and price -- $90!)
provide that initial impression.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">However, this is definitively not a simple
picture book to be displayed on the living room coffee table. Jonathan Spence,
a history professor at Yale, is one of the West's most respected Chinese
scholars. He and his wife, Annping Chin, also a Yale professor, write a
narrative to accompany over two hundred and fifty rare photographs which were
chosen from archives, libraries and private collections in China, Taiwan, and
North America. Many of the photos have never before been seen outside
China.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">The Spence/Chin text traces the history of
China from the time of the Qing dynasty to the People's Republic, describing
civil and world wars, the Communist revolution and the emergence of China as a
superpower. The lives of ordinary Chinese as well as the lives of the elite are
revealed in narrative and photographs that are stunning.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">I do not use the word &quot;stunning&quot; in
the sense of &quot;beautiful&quot;. Indeed, some of the photographs are
horrific. For example, one photograph depicting the Nanjing Massacre of
December 1937 shows Japanese troops lounging with their hands in their pockets
as their comrades bury Nanjing Chinese captives alive. There are other
unbelievable war photographs taken by Fang Dazeng, a 23 year old Chinese news
photographer who disappeared in the rout of the 132nd Division of the Chinese
army in 1937, presumed killed.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">Readers of this newsletter will understand the
emotions I felt upon seeing the photograph of Chinese passer-byes in Sichuan
looking down uneasily at a baby girl abandoned in the street. The child is
swaddled in a warm quilt. Some of the bystanders look grief-stricken; all look
like they don't know what to do.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">While this is not a book I would leave lying
around for casual browsing, I recommend it to any student of Chinese culture
and history. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">Reading this book has taught me so much about
the tumultuous history and courage of the Chinese people. I hope that when my
daughter is of sufficient age and maturity to deal with the raw truths revealed
by some of the photographs, this book will help her to appreciate the
complicated and powerful heritage of her birth country.</FONT></P>
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<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-2"><B>Last Updated: April 25th, 1999 </B></FONT> 
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